There's Always Tomorrow
by Fletset
Summary: Brock has to make a tough desicion about Misty, while Ash discovers a few things about himself he never knew. GymshippyPokeshippy.


Hi everyone! Wow…it has been pretty long since I last wrote a Pokemon fanfic for FF.net. 

Ash is not the main character here for once ^^; I'm sorry for the slight mention of Ranma½. It fitted well in the story. You don't have to know it to understand the story, though. 

Sorry if I have spelling/grammar mistakes!

Disclaimer: Pokemon is not mine, never was, and never would be.

There's Always Tomorrow Brock's POV 

We sat in the local Pokemon center, as usual. Ash was talking with Joy about Pokemon, as usual. Pikachu was chasing Togepi all over the lobby, as usual, and I sat on the couch and stared at her, as usual. She never notices, always taking a girlish magazine from the counter and reads it until we enter our rooms. Today it's something about beauty. She seems pretty interested in it…

Oh, such a beauty indeed! Her hair as the setting sun, her eyes blue-green as the ocean, her skin as the snow…Argh! What's happening to me? I'm starting to sound like…What's his name? Kuno. Yeah. I heard he was in love with two women, kinda like me. One woman had a fiancé, and they got married. Since the day of the wedding, the other girl mysteriously disappeared. Ever since that Kuno is a pretty depressed guy.

Thinking about it, Kuno's situation wasn't too different than mine: I'm also in love with some women, only that I have _one true _love. And, also, that girl already has someone. They're not officially together, but it's as clear as crystal that they're in love. What has he got that I don't, damn it!

She sacrificed herself for him once or twice, and he sacrificed himself for others more times than I can count. 

Every time she drags me by the ear I hope she's jealous, but I know deep inside that she isn't.

Every time that they have a fight and she's sad, I want to tell her to "leave the jerk and merry me!", but I don't.

The way she looks at him…I wish I were getting the same stares as he. But no, I am the father figure she lost years ago, the big brother she never had…I'm this figure for both of them.

I asked her, once, what am I for her?

"You are the someone I never had", she answered. I was hoping for a moment that she loves me, that I'm like her boyfriend she never had, but then every hope I had had shattered: "You're like my big brother!"

Then I was wondering…what am I for him? For Mr. Pokemon-Master-To-Be?

I'll never forget the look on his face when I shot him the question. He was pale and wide-eyed. He refused to answer, and didn't speak to me, nor looked at me, for a week after that. Misty was by his side for all of that time. Worried about him, asking what's wrong…Aren't I important, too?

I remember the day she got sick of it. She yelled at him and slapped him across the face for not talking to me, and demanded him for explanation. They started fighting again. 

Ash sounded like himself again, but there was something missing in him. It was a big fight, and I hoped that she'll understand that I'm the man for her.

Then there was a twist I didn't except:

"You're not worth the trouble", she hissed. 

"I'm not worth anything to you!" He answered. 

"What?! How can you say such a thing?"

"Oh, come on! All you always do is yelling at me, blaming me for everything and complain!"

"You just don't understand…"

"Don't understand what? That I'm blocking your way for independent life?" He threw her an envelope. "I was saving this for your 14th birthday, but I think now is more appropriate time!" He left the place.

Misty was frozen with shock, but then she got over it and ran after him. I have no idea what happened there. I never asked, and to tell you the truth? I don't care. It seems, though, that their relationship had gotten better since that fateful day. 

When I asked if she knows why Ash shut himself fro me, Misty said she'd sworn not to tell, and she won't. All she said was that she could understand why.

*~*~*

"Hey, Brock!" My train of thought was cut by her delicate voice.

"What? Is something wrong, Misty?" I asked.

"I've been calling your name five times already! What's wrong with you? Well, never mind. Your dad's on the phone".

I was surprised. My dad? I haven't spoke with him for months. I went to pick up the phone.

"Brock, my son! I have an offer you can't refuse!"

"What kind of an offer?" I asked, suspicious.

"I know that you're looking for a girlfriend for a long time now, so I decided to hook you up to someone! Do you know the three sisters, who are in charge for the Cerulean Gym?"

I snickered. "Why, of course I do."

"They say they have the perfect one for you: Their little sister." I paled. He continued: "They think that she's in love with someone else, though, but he's younger than you, and he's childish. They think that you're the one for her. What do you think?"

"What?! They're going to hook her up without permission?"

"They'll let her know someday."

This is nothing but cruel. "I'll get back to you with an answer," I hang up.

"What did he want, Brock?" Misty asked.

I didn't tell the truth, of course: "He just wanted to know what's up."

I don't think she believed me, but she didn't ask anything after and left. 

That night I couldn't sleep. I lied on my back, stared at the ceiling and thought. It was already 2 AM. I watched Misty sleeping in the bunk underneath me. She looked so calmed. Ash was asleep at the top of the other bunk bed, with Pikachu and Togepi sleeping beneath him. They all looked clamed, actually. 

But I couldn't keep on wondering about them. I had under things running through my mind. 

Should I accept the offer and be happy, or refuse and make Misty happy?

I was thinking about that Kuno guy again. We were friends when we were little, but then I had to move to Pewter. We stayed in touch. Kuno had a rival- the man engaged to the one he's in love with. Since their parents made them merry, they hated each other for some time, and even when they fell in love they couldn't admit it. After all, they had to pretend they hate each other's guts in front of their parents. 

Would this be my fate if I accept the offer? On the other hand, though, Misty and me know each other for a long time, not like those two.

If I accept, I won't bee able to stand the fact that Misty stays with me because she has to. Ash would be miserable too. So what if I don't like him that much, because Misty loves him and not me? It doesn't mean that I hate him. And Ash doesn't deserve that kind of miserableness. He's done so much for us and others- He's a good man, and good men like him deserve a good life. 

It was 6 AM when I decided what to do. I went to call my father and let him know my decision. He should be up by now.

"Hello, it's Flint speaking. May I help you?" Answered my dad's voice, and a moment later his picture was on the screen.

"It's me, dad."

"Brock! How are you? Do you have an answer for my offer?"

"Yup, and I made up my mind about it."

"…"

"I don't accept."

"What?! How come? I thought you'd be thrilled! After all, you once told me you love her!"

"But she loves another, dad. I don't agree she'll be with me because she has to."

"Don't tell me she loves that kid, Ash."

"I won't say what you don't want to hear, then."

"…Oh dear…"

"Goodbye," I hang up.

"What offer?" I jumped when I heard a voice behind me. Ash stood there, half asleep. Why did he wake up? He's never up before 9 o'clock. 

"Why are you up so early?" I asked.

"I had…a bad dream. I was looking for you, because I needed to tell you something."

"Shoot," I urged him.

"Remember the day you asked what you are for me?"

I nodded.

"I want," He stopped for a moment, to collect himself, I guess. "I want to tell you why I avoided you."

"I'm listening," I told him.

"Only when you asked me I understood something: You are the father figure I never had…"

I have to admit I suspected that.

"…It's a bit scary, you know? That a guy who's only older than me in a year or two, is a father for me. I had dreams, dreams that I'm meeting my father again, but all I can see is his shadow. And then, when I _did _see him," Ash closed his eyes. "It was you, Brock! I couldn't believe it. No…I _refused _to believe it! -"

"-But I was glad. Glad that I have a father figure that I can somewhat adore. Once it was Professor Oak, but when I was seven I stopped looking at him that way. Then you showed up. You looked after me, took care of me, helped me when I needed you. Just like a father."

As ash spilled his heart in front of me I felt the muscles in my palm tightening. It sent shivers down my spine- the thought of me as his father. I suspected it, yes, but I didn't want to believe it. Like him- I refused to. No…I can't be a father to him. I love him enough to be his friend, but hate him too much to be his father. 

I slapped him and he fell to the floor, totally stunned. "What was that…?" He tried to say, but I cut him off.

"Because I can't be a father to you," I said. "I don't love you enough for it."

H's face still showed shock and confusion, and he kept on mumbling stuff. I thought I heard him say, "now you really _are _like him", but I'm not so sure. 

"You don't get it, do you? So let me explain: The offer my father gave me was to hook me up with Misty."

He became even paler.

"I refused, even though I love her," I thought he was about to faint in front of me.

"Then why…if you love her?"

"Because she loves you, you idiot!"

"W…what?! You're kidding me!"

I shook my head. How dense can he be? "Can't you see that? The way she looks at you, how she worries about you all the time, and I don't know what happened at the day you paid her back for the bike, but something has! Didn't you notice?"

He got up on his feet, but didn't answer.

"If I would have accepted the offer, both of you were miserable. You don't deserve it- especially not her."  
"You could, though! You had the chance of a lifetime!" He said, as if trying to cheer me up. I knew he was happy inside.

I gave him a sad-murderous look and said: "There's always tomorrow."

End 

Author's note: What do you think? Please review! Should I do a sequel? Some of my friends asked for it, but I still don't know.


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